A proposal to overturn a requirement for some schools to participate in a national program providing free and low-cost meals to students is advancing to the state House after Senators approved it Thursday.

The swift and sweeping process used to enact historic state budget cuts has hidden major policy shifts affecting the state’s safety net for families with children. Virtually overnight, our elected officials gutted programs and policies developed with conscientious public debate, careful deliberation and clear purpose. At a time when Arizona has lost 315,000 jobs – an 11.6 percent reduction in employment – these drastic changes in public assistance policies have resulted in little or no help to struggling families that will lead to greater dependency and increased costs.

I take issue with the current policies of Arizona government in regards to housing for the homeless and low-income residents of this state. Specifically, I wanted to discuss the “consolidated plan” that is being developed by the Arizona Department of Housing.